The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-12
Medical Frauds.

The exposure by the Boston Herald of a
medical qnack in Lewiston who is selling di-
plomas certifying that the holder is thorough
ly posted in anatomy, physiology, obstetrics,
surgery, materia medica, therapeutics and
such other things as the educated and skilled
physician should be versed in, strongly en-
phasizes what the PRESS said yesterday con-
corning the need of law to regulate better
than it is regulated now, the practice of med
icine in this State. Here is man holding
himself out as an educated physician, rum
ming an infrmary for the treatment of the
sick, and yet so ignorant Of the science which
he prctcnds to practice that he cannot tell the
number Of bones in the human system, and
has only very vague idea of the location
Of thelhuman heart. He has carried his
wickedness to a greater extent than the most
OF his kind in that he has not only imposed
upon people himself but has furnished others
with the means of swindling, but as
far as his own imposition is concerned he is
no worse than scores of others either located
permanently in the State or making occasion
al incurslons into it. As be has been caught
selling diplomas the law can probably take
eognizance of his case, and perhaps put him
IN the way Of contributing something to his
own support by honest labor. But had he con-
fined his operations simply TO the practice of
medicine no law on the statute book today
could have reached him. But that is not the
worst Of it. Under our present law. igno-
rant as he is, without diploma from any rep
utable institution in the country, he could if
armed with certificate of good moral char
acter from the selectmen of the town where
he resides-a document which probably
would be refused to nobody short of State
prison convict-use the machinery of our
courts to collect pay for his services
We have a stringent law on our statute
book for the regulation Of druggists, which
forbids them to compound medicines unless
they have first passed an examination before
a commission of pharmacy and received
certificate Of competency. But this "Dr."
Samuel York and others of his kind are al
lowed to compound drugs and then to pre-
scribe them, and the courts will step in and
assist them to get their pay for their work.
No man can practice law in the courts of this
State until he has been examined, and
licensed by the courts, and our religious
bodies take good deal of pains to see that
their ministers are posted in some sort of
theology. But any man can hold himself out
as doctor, no matter how ignorant. He can be
blacksmith one day, and a physician the next
travelling about prescribing and compromising
medicines, and if he has certificate of good
moral character he can bring suit for his
services and the burden of proof is put up
on his dupes to show that he did not render
any. The medical profession is the enc
which far beyond all others requires educa-
ton and skill, and yet beyond all others it is
pervaded with ignorance and incompetency.
The Legislature has several times been ap- |
pealed to to enact law to remedy in some |
degree this scandalous state Of things But |
the lealousies of the schools and the protests |
OF people who actas If they thought education |
was not an essential to physician, and that |
long hair or Indian blood or accident of |
birth or natural gifts more than COM |
pensated for the lack of it-have always |
put insuperable obstacles in the way. Pos |
slDly 1t may be not too much to expect that |
the disclosures in regard to "Dr." York, and |
the cases of malpractice that have been |
brought to the attention Maine courts lately |
viii convince the Legislature that 1t is about |
time to do something in this matter. Should |
such be the case it should begin by repeating |
the charter Of the Druidic University and |
it should not end until some law is on the
statute book to compel doctors to know